Birth Injuries And Development Delays: What You Should Look For

One of the biggest detriments stemming from a birth injury is a delay in how your baby develops physically and mentally. There are a lot of problems your baby may experience that can prevent them from reaching certain stages when he or she is expected. Unfortunately, delays in development are not easily noticed and there are some situations that don’t manifest right away. For any parent who suspects their child of suffering from a birth injury, it’s imperative to recognize the developmental milestones their child should experience.

If you notice that your baby has missed any of these milestones, it may not necessarily mean that they suffered harm. However, there are potential dangers that could result in your baby developing slower than others. Here are some of the things you should watch out for as your child grows.

Missed Developments as an Infant

Infants are expected to hit a few different milestones in the first year or two of their lives. These milestones are both physical and mental, but if a birth injury exists, it can cause the baby to either develop much later than they should, or they may not develop the ability at all.

Some of the major developments you can expect your infant to hit include the following:

Rolling over from stomach to back
Rolling over from back to stomach
Strong control of neck muscles
Behavioral response to noise
Smiling at familiar faces
Crawling

While it’s not always guaranteed that an infant will hit these various milestones, there is a chance that they may have suffered a birth injury if they don’t. It is a sign that you should at least have your child checked to determine what may be causing the delays.

Developments as a Toddler

As your child gets older, anywhere between 12 and 36 months, there are numerous mental and physical milestones they are expected to hit as this is the time when they are supposed to make big strides. While some of these milestones can take longer to reach (such as potty training), others should come more naturally as their abilities grow.

Failing to hit these milestones doesn’t necessarily mean your child has been the victim of a birth injury—there are some cases where children just take longer than most. However, there are also possibilities to encounter such a traumatic experience.

Some of the potential developmental milestones your child should reach include:

Climbing: Your child should start trying to climb up on items when they are 12 to 24 months
Jumping: Physically, your child will begin to squat more and want to push off their feet around two years old
Independence: Your child will want to do more by his or herself, including certain tasks, eating, and more
Empathy: You may notice that your child is connecting feelings with behaviors and showing empathy in how they react

At a toddler’s age, they are constantly learning and adjusting to new things around them. Unfortunately, this makes it so any developmental delays are easily noticeable, and you may panic at the idea of something being wrong with your child.

Physical Problems

You should look for certain physical problems that may exist, as well, and how they can impact your child. Some physical problems can include skull fractures, issues involving his or her hand formed in a claw like shape, muscle tone problems, and more.

If your child takes longer to do some of the physical things they’re supposed to be doing at their age, it could indicate something is wrong with their physical development. You should ensure you’re getting care and attention from a medical professional who can look into the potential problems and determine if your child suffered a birth injury either during the pregnancy or during delivery.

Here is an infographic detailing some things you should look for with regard to a potentially missed milestone.

Your Rights If a Birth Injury Occurs

When your baby suffers harm from the negligent actions of a medical professional, you should understand the different rights you have to move forward and take action against the responsible party. Birth injuries should never happen, but they do—and they do more often than we’d like.

This creates serious problems for the child who has been affected, especially when you consider the lifetime of problems they may endure because of the injury. This type of situation falls under medical malpractice laws and the family of the baby who has been harmed is given the opportunity to take legal action against the medical professional who caused the injury.

At Brown & Barron, we take matters of birth injury seriously because we understand the hardships placed on the child, as well as the family. There are lifelong effects associated with these types of injuries and there is a need for compensation where applicable to cover much of the expenses that come with said problems.

With our Baltimore birth injury attorneys on your side, you can feel confident in our ability to pursue the maximum compensation our clients need and deserve in complex situations. We position your best interests as our top priority because we know how much it is needed to move forward in the most positive manner possible.

We offer free consultations to help you learn more about your rights and options after a birth injury, as well as safeguard your rights every step of the way. We’re ready to be your powerful voice.